Fast fill valve assembly for pressurized dispensing package

ABSTRACT

A valve assembly for a pressurized dispensing package in which a rigid elongated valve member having upper and lower passages separated by a transverse wall member, upper and lower ports communicating with these passages, respectively, and a first camming surface, acts upon a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving the valve member, a flange for securing it to the package, a skirt portion sealing the lower valve port, and a second inclined camming surface between the skirt and the flange which cooperates with the first camming surface, in such a way as to separate the sealing surface of the skirt from the lower port, opening communication between the ports to permit material flow from the container, through the valve passages, to atmosphere. The camming surfaces are operated by applying either a tilting or an axial pressure to the valve member; the described valve assembly is also self-returning, and may be charged in a manner bypassing at least one valve port.

United States Patent l 72] Inventor Mllo E. Webster Bralntree, Mass. [2]] Appl. No. 799,448 [22] Filed Feb. 14, 1969 [45] Patented Nov. 9, 1971 [73] Assignee The Glllette Company Boston, Mass.

[54] FAST FILL VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR PRESSURIZED DISPENSING PACKAGE 17 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs. [52] 0.8. CI ..222/402.16, ZZZ/402.24, 222/513, 251/354 [51] Int. Cl B6Sd 83/00 [50] Field of Search 222/4021, 402.21, 402.22, 402.23, 402.24, 513, 402.16, 512; 251/349, 350, 354 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,763,406 9/1956 Countryman 222/402.2l 2,852,168 9/1958 Suellentrop ZZZ/402.22 3,028,054 4/1962 Beard, Jr. ZZZ/402.21 X 3,117,700 l/l964 Gorman 222/402.24 X

3,270,925 9/1966 Obst.... ZZZ/402.21 3,506,241 4/1970 Ewald ZZZ/402.21 X FOREIGN PATENTS 576,264 /1959 Canada ZZZ/402.22

cooperates with the first camming surface, in such a way as to separate the sealing surface of the skirt from the lower port, opening communication between the ports to permit material flow from the container, through the valve passages, to atmosphere. The camming surfaces are operated by applying either a tilting or an axial pressure to the valve member; the described valve assembly is also self-retuming, and may be charged in a manner bypassing at least one valve port.

,?l47 50 5e s9 42 65 l FAST FILL VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR PRESSURIZED DISPENSING PACKAGE SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates to dispensing packages, and particularly to dispensing packages of the pressurized type.

Dispensing packages have previously been designed in which a valve is made to open by the separation of relatively rigid portions from relatively flexible portions to release material from the interior of the dispenser. If these cooperating portions must be of complex shapes for operation of the valve, they will be subject to breakage during the repeated use required of such a dispensing valve, as well as being difficult to mold and hence uneconomical to produce in large commercial quantities. Moreover, the operation of many of these prior valves has depended, e.g., on involved indirect stretching or deformation of part of the flexible piece while other parts must retain shape. Such specifications, in addition, severely limit the flexible substances available for forming these valve portions, by the complexity of movement involved, and the strains which must be produced in the flexible member increase the possibility of valve breakdown, or, at least, of imperfect, unreliable performance of the valve, long before the material to be dispensed is depleted.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a valve assembly for a pressurized dispensing package employing cooperating flexible and rigid portions of simple construction and dependable durable operation.

Another object is to provide a valve assembly having a small number of simply formed, readily moldable parts, cooperating in a number of reliable dispensing modes.

A further object is to provide a positive action pressurized dispensing device in which valve ports to be connected for dispensing material are located close to one another, to provide a short material flow path therebetween, and are connected by a very small valve movement.

An additional object is to provide a dispensing package having such an improved valve assembly which is also able to be quickly charged with compressed gas and instantaneously hermetically sealed after charging.

The invention features a valve assembly, for use in a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above the material, which comprises a relatively rigid valve member that has a tubular portion and a cooperating relatively flexible sealing member. The rigid valve member has a portion defining a passage, a port communicating with this passage, and a camming surface. The flexible sealing member has a passage for receiving this valve member, an attachment portion by which the sealing member is secured to the container, a skirt portion for sealing the valve member port, and an inclined camming surface between the skirt and attachment portions which cooperates with the valve member camming surface, the skirt portion being constructed to follow the sealing member camming surface away from the valve member and separate from the valve port when the valve member camming surface is cammed against the flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to the valve member.

In a preferred embodiment, the camming surface of the valve member is also inclined with respect to the elongated axis (i.e., the axis of the tubular portions) of the valve member. However, the valve member camming surface is somewhat less inclined than is the flexible member camming surface, so that, for example, when an axial pressure is applied to the tubular member the initial reaction of the flexible camming surface is to flatten somewhat to assume the inclination of the valve member camming surface. In the described embodiment, both of these camming surfaces are in the form of frustoconical sections and therefore when an axial pressure is applied to the valve member, this pressure is uniformly applied throughout the entire peripheral extent of these conical camming portions thus tending also to separate the skirt portion around the entire periphery of the tubular valve member. However, a positive separation of at least part of the skirt portion may also be achieved by applying a tilting pressure to the valve member whereby a portion of the valve member camming surface contacts an adjacent portion of the flexible member camming surface and positively separates the section of the skirt portion axially aligned with the interacting camming portions from the valve port.

Also, in this particular embodiment, the valve member has upper and lower axial passages separated by a transverse wall member and a port communicates with each passage. To simplify flow between the two ports, annular channels are provided around the periphery of the valve member, one surrounding each port, the ports extending radially inwardly from the respective channels to the respective axial passage of the valve member. The channels are, however, sealed from each other by the skirt portion of the flexible member. Thus, when the skirt separates from the valve member, a communication zone is established along the periphery of the valve member, between the two channels. If axial pressure is applied, this zone will be annular.

In the described embodiment, the upper valve port actually extends through the lower part of the camming surface of the valve member, that is, through the narrowest portion of this camming surface; and, the channel adjacent this first stem port is provided by an annular notch cut into the flexible member adjacent the skirt portion. The lower channel, which is at the lower valve port, is formed by a notch in the valve member so that the interior surface of the skirt portion is not interrupted. The skirt portion completely extends over and covers this notch, thereby sealing the lower valve port.

Preferably, an axial notch is also provided on the valve member along its lower periphery extending from the lower valve port along the lower tubular portion toward the interior of the container. This notch is only partially covered by the skirt portion of the flexible member so that the interior end of this axial notch remains open to the interior of the container, the notch and skirt portion cooperating to form a narrow peripheral axial passage, in addition to the axial passage through the lower tubular portion, between the container and the lower port of the valve member. This axial notch serves as a vapor tap, that is, it keeps the lower port in communication, at all times, whether the dispensing package is in use or not, with the gas charge above the material in the container. The interior axial passage of the tubular valve member is connected, through a dip tube, to the material in the container. Thus, during operation, the material and gas charge meet at the lower port and are mixed both in travel from the lower to the upper port along the periphery of the valve member and also in travel through the upper tubular portion of the valve member to atmosphere.

For filling purposes, the flexible member is designed to separate, at least partially, from the valve member when pressurized gas is introduced at the periphery of the valve member, directed toward the interior of the container. Thus, the device can be filled to the desired gas charge at a speed unrestricted by the size of the valve port openings. In a described embodiment, at least the skirt portion of the flexible member is formed in such a thickness that gas, under sufficient pressure, reaching the channel surrounding the second valve port, is able to separate the skirt portion from the valve member around its entire periphery so that gas travels directly down along the lower portion of the valve member to the container. Where a lower peripheral axial notch is provided in the valve member, this separation occurs even more readily. If desired, other portions of the flexible member may be similarly constructed. For example, the camming surface of the flexible member may also separate from the valve member, as may also portions of the flexible member disposed above this camming surface and otherwise engaging the valve member. Thus a steady gas flow may be achieved, under some predetermined pressure (greater than the pressure of the gas charge ultimately to be inserted into the container, so that reverse flow will not occur), into the container around the periphery of the valve member, bypassing the valve ports. Additionally, these valve ports may therefore be constructed as small as is necessary to deliver the required fine spray from the dispensing package, without interfering with the ease or speed with which the container may be charged.

Preferably, the valve member and the flexible member are firmly secured to the container, by simple clamping structure. In the described embodiments, the annular flange portion, which is provided on the flexible member, is maintained between a rigid wall of the container, i.e., the top of the mounting cap, and an annular securing member, of rigid construction, the mounting cap extending down around the outer edges of the flange and securing member, and crimped beneath the securing member, thus clamping the flange between the securing member and the rigid wall. The securing member described is of hexagonal shape, and thus provides an inclined surface along which the mounting cap may be conveniently crimped. Since this mounting cap may be of conventional design and size, this crimping may be accomplished by conventional assembly machinery.

An additional feature of one described embodiment is that the camming surface on the flexible member, when the latter is secured to the container, bears upon the camming surface of the valve member, which is formed as the underside of a flange of the valve member, and thereby urges the opposite wall of this flange against the mounting cap, to the closed position of the valve assembly.

Thus, after the desired amount of material and gas has been dispensed from the container, the user simply relieves the pressure applied to the valve member, and since there has been no relative slippage of valve member and tubular member during operation, the flexibility of the flexible member causes the valve member to be biased back to the closed position, thus rescaling the lower valve port.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a pressurized dispensing package which includes a valve assembly in accordance-with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric exploded view of the valve member, flexible member, and annular securing member forming the valve assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional end view of the valve assembly of FIG. 1, in the nonoperating position;

FIG. 4 is a view of the valve assembly of FIG. 3, showing the valve member moved to a second position, in accordance with an axial operating mode;

FIG. 5 is a view of the valve assembly of FIG. 3 showing the valve member moved to a different position in accordance with a tilting operating mode; and,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS In the drawings there is shown a pressurized dispensing package 10 including a metal container 12 having a body 13, a mounting cap 14 which is secured to the body by an annular flange 16 on the body, a valve assembly 17, and a dip tube 18 extending from the valve assembly to material contained in the container 12.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, valve assembly 17 includes a rigid valve member 22, having an upper tubular portion 23 including an elongated axial passage 24, a lower tubular portion 26 including an elongated lower axial passage 27, and a transverse wall 28 separating the two tubular portions. An annular flange 30 is disposed about the periphery of the upper tubular portion, and includes a lower tapered camming surface 32, inclined at an angle of 47%" to the center axis of the elongated valve member, a cylindrical surrounding wall portion 33, a top annular wall portion 34, and a top annular notch 35. Upper valve port 38 extends from the lower tapered portion of camming surface 32 to the upper axial passage 24 of tubular portion 23. Lower valve port 40 similarly extends from the interior of lower axial passage 27 to an annular notch 42 formed around the periphery of lower tubular portion 26. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 2, a depending peripheral axial notch 43 extends downward along the outer wall of the lower tubular portion from the lower stem port toward the interior of the container, forming a vapor tap, but does not communicate with axial passage 27 except through lower valve port 40.

Flexible sealing member 45, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, includes an annular mounting flange 47, having an upper surface portion 49 aligned with top annular wall portion 34 of valve member 22, a lower mounting surface 50, an inner cylindrical surface portion 51 separated, by annular channel 52, from cylindrical wall portion 33 of valve member 22, and an outer cylindrical surface portion 53. Extending downwardly from flange 47 is an intermediate portion 55, having a conical outer surface 56, an inner conical camming surface 58, ad-

jacent valve member camming surface 32, but at an angle of 45 to the center elongated axis of valve member 22, an interior cylindrical wall 59, separated from the outer surface of lower tubular portion 26 by a channel 61, and an upper skirt portion 63, which includes a valve port sealing surface 54. Lower skirt portion 65 is of reduced diameter from intermediate portion 55, and terminates in an annular rib 67, which is located above the lower end of valve member notch 43, sealing surface 54 extending integrally throughout the skirt portions and engaging the remainder of the surrounding wall of lower tubular portion 26 above rib 67.

Flexible sealing member 45 is secured to mounting cap 14 by crimping the cap at 68 about a rigid toroidal-shaped securing element 69, having a hexagonal cross section, thereby clamping mounting flange 47 between mounting cap 14 and element 69. At the same time, valve element 22 has its annular flange 30 secured between mounting cap 14 and camming surface 58 of flexible sealing member 45.

Sealing member 45, for operation in the described modes, must be flexible and able to stretch both radially and axially, without cracking, peeling, etc. Moreover, it must be capable of enduring such deformations during repeated use of the dispensing package, without breakdown. Rubbery compositions, such as Buna-N (butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer), are particularly effective.

This valve assembly may be operated in one of two modes, an axial mode, as shown in FIG. 4, and a tilting mode, as shown in FIG. 5. According to the mode shown in FIG. 4, pressure is applied downwardly to the upper tubular portion 23 of rigid valve member 22, urging that member downwardly into the flexible sealing member 45. The lower camming surface 32 of the valve member is thereby cammed against the inclined camming surface 58 of the flexible member, and slides along the latter surface whereby the flexible member camming surface is spread, that is, the angle between it and the axis of the valve member is gradually increased. As the shoulder formed by the flexible member camming surface and the adjacent cylindrical wall 59 is gradually flattened, so also is the shoulder between wall 59 and sealing wall 54; thus sealing portion 54 separates from the lower tubular portion of the valve member above and adjacent lower valve port 40, opening that port. Because of the inclination of camming surface 58, it is urged in precisely the outward and downward direction in which surface 54 must move to be opened. Since the contact between the two camming surfaces is entirely above both valve ports, there is no interference with material flow from the lower port to the upper port. Moreover, because the lower valve port is in constant communication with the channel formed by valve member notch 42, and the upper valve port is in constant communication with the channel 61, and since in this mode of operation the entire peripheral sealing surface 54 above and adjacent valve port 40 may be separated from the tubular member, material flow may proceed from lower channel to upper channel, through an annular flow zone surrounding the entire periphery of the lower tubular portion. Flow between the upper and lower interior axial passages is thus of high volume; moreover, since the two valve ports are so close together a very rapid transfer of material may be achieved between the two axial passages.

According to the second mode of operation, shown in FIG. 5, tilting pressure is applied to the upper tubular portion 23 of valve member 22, thus causing only that portion of the valve member camming surface 32, opposite the side of the valve member to which a tilting pressure is applied, to bear upon an immediately adjacent portion of the flexible member camming surface 58. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the opposite side of the camming surfaces are out of contact. As the flexible member camming surface is radially stretched, in a manner similar to that described for FIG. 4 but more localized in effeet, the portion of the sealing surface 54 which is approximately axially aligned with the afi'ectedcamming surface will separate from the valve member. The remainder of the peripheral sealing surface 54 may remain engaged with the valve member. Because the lower stem port is surrounded by channel 42, however, the sealing portion need not be separated directly adjacent lower valve port-40, as shown in FIG. 6, but may be tilted in any direction desired so long as some portion of channel 42 is uncovered, allowing communication between channel 42 and upper channel 61 surrounding the upper valve port 38. Thus the lower stem port may be located at any point around the periphery of the lower tubular portion of valve member 22, and the tilting mode may still be applied in any direction desired.

Thus, in both modes of operation, a positive action is utilized to open the valve port, that is, the sealing surface axially aligned with the affected camming surface is what separates from the valve member. Thus, it is not necessary to construct the flexible member of some material which is capable of holding its shape upon deformation, it only being necessary that the flexible member be capable of deforming in a region very near to the region at which pressure has been applied to it, and in approximately the direction of the applied pressure.

The skirt portion below lower stem port 40 will remain engaged with the valve member throughout operation, since the very small movement of valve member 22 required to open lower port 40 may be compensated entirely by stretching of flexible member 45. Thus, no relative sliding movement of the flexible member and the valve member will occur, and the elastic stretching of the flexible member will provide a biasing force operable to return the valve member to its original position, with its lower port 40 rescaled, when the operating axial or tilting pressure is removed.

The valve member must be constructedof a material which is relatively rigid, with respect to the flexible member, so that pressure applied by the valve member will be substantially entirely translated into operational deformation of the flexible member. Conventional rigid plastic materials, such as polyethylene and others commonly used in valve construction, are also suitable for the present valve.

This embodiment is also capable of being rapidly charged with gas in one or more ways, in which at least one of the narrow passages is avoided. For example, gas may be introduced under a pressure (usually of the order of 200 p.s.i.) down through upper tubular passage 24 and upper valve port 38 into channel 61. The pressure exerted by the gas will be sufficient to separate sealing surface 54 from the lower tubular portion 26 of valve member 22, particularly at the reduced thickness lower skirt portion 65, allowing free gas flow around the periphery of the valve member past rib 67. Or, some downward pressure may be applied to the valve when the source of gas is attached, to initially break the seal of surface 54. The additional gas pressure in vapor tap 43 will aid in separation of the remainder of sealing surface 54, so that gas need not pass through the lower stern port 40 and down the dip tube but may pass down around the periphery of the lower tubular portion 26 into the container above the material. The flow of gas is thus not restricted either by the width of vapor tap 43, or by the size of lower stem port 40. If the flexible member is made of proper material, it may be possible to introduce gas, rather than through the upper axial passage 24, directly around the upper tubular portion 23 between that tubular portion and the mounting cap, down around the flanged portion 30 of valve member 22 and between the camming surfaces, separating the flexible member from the valve member at the camming surfaces by virtue of the pressure of the gas charge applied, and then, as before, down around the periphery of the lower tubular member under the sealing portion 54. Since the pressure of the gas within the container after charging will be in the neighborhood of about 50 p.s.i., the flexible member will be constructed to separate under 200 p.s.i., but not under 50 p.s.i., so that no gas leakage back up through the valve assembly will occur after charging is completed.

Referring now to the alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the construction and operation of valve assembly 17a are identical to those of valve assembly 17 of FIGS. 1-5, except as follows. Valve member 22a is identical to the valve member described in FIGS. 1-5, except that camming surface 320 is not inclined, but is perpendicular to the elongated axis of member 22a. The valve member is now sunk into the interior of the flexible member 45a, which includes an additional interior annular flange 70 between the valve member and the mounting cap. The flexible member 45a is thicker relative to the valve member 220, at lower skirt portion 65a as well as at intermediate portion 55a. Securing element 690 is located, as before, along the mounting surface 50a of mounting flange 47a, and arranged to secure this flange to the crimped mounting cap; however, element 690 is constructed also to push the flexible member inwardly along surface 80, to seal the valve member. Thus, this flexible member is less readily separated, e.g., for gas-filling purposes, than was the flexible member of FIGS. 1 to 5, which seals the valve member solely by virtue of its integral form and elastic composition. It will be noted also that annular securing member 69a is of slightly different shape from the hexagonal member which was used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, the principal difference being that the two upper corners are not chamfered. Finally, dip tube 18a is of larger rather than smaller diameter than lower tubular portion 26.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and therefore it is not intended that the invention be limited to the disclosed embodiments or to details thereof and departures may be made therefrom within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above said material, a valve assembly comprising a rigid valve member having an upper portion defining a discharge passage, a lower portion defining an axially extending passage, barrier means disposed between said upper and lower portions, a port through the wall of said member providing communication between said axial passage and said discharge passage around said barrier means, and a radially extending portion extending from said upper portion and having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface, and

a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving said valve member, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion depending from said body portion and defining said valve member receiving passage and adapted to seal said port, said skirt portion being an elongated annular sleeve having a wall thickness substantially less than that of said body portion and an inclined camming surface between said skirt and said attachment portion, said inclined camming surface cooperating with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member and permit discharge of material from said container through said port and discharge passage to the atmosphere.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said attachment portion extends annularly around said flexible member and includes opposed annular surfaces, and wherein said dispensing package also includes an annular securing member, disposed along the lower of said annular surfaces of said member to secure the upper of said annular surfaces of said member against said container.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said container includes a rigid wall adjacent said upper annular surface and an integral cylindrical depending wall having a lower portion crimped about the lower side of said annular securing member.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said annular securing member includes an outer inclined face adjacent the said lower portion of said depending container wall.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said valve member camming surface is formed by a flanged portion of said valve member, said container includes a rigid wall adjacent the opposite surface of said flanged portion, and said flexible member camming surface is constructed to bias said flanged portion against said rigid wall, said tilting or axial pressure being applied to counteract said biasing, and said skirt portion remains in contact to said valve member, during application of said tilting or axial pressure and assists the return of said valve member to its initial position relative to said flexible member, upon release of said applied pressure.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said sealing member further defines an annular channel around the periphery of said valve member, said annular channel being separated from said valve port by said skirt portion.

7. in a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above said material, a valve assembly comprising a rigid valve member having an upper portion defining a discharge passage, a lower portion defining an axially extending passage, barrier means disposed between said upper and lower portions, a port through the wall of said member providing communication between said axial passage and said discharge passage around said barrier means, and a radially extending portion extending from said upper portions and having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface inclined with respect to the elongated axis of said valve member, and

a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving said valve member, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion defining said valve member receiving passage and adapted to seal said port, and an inclined camming surface between said skirt and said attachment portion, the obtuse angle between said valve member camming surface and said elongated axis being slightly greater than the obtuse angle between said flexible member camming surface and said axis, said inclined camming surface cooperating with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member and permit discharge of material from said container through said port and discharge passage to the atmosphere.

8. In a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above said material, a valve assembly comprising a rigid valve member having an upper portion defining a discharge passage, a lower portion defining a first axially extending passage, barrier means disposed between said upper and lower portions, a port through the wall of said member providing communication between said axial passage and said discharge passage around said barrier means, an axial notch extending along the periphery of said valve member from said valve port toward the interior of said container, and a radially extending portion extending from said upper portion and having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface, and

a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving said valve member, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion defining said valve member receiving passage and adapted to seal said port, said skirt portion engaging the remainder of said valve member part way along said valve notch so that said notch and said skirt portion form thereby a second axially extending passage, open at one end to said container and at the other end to said valve port, and an inclined camming surface between said skirt and said attachment portion, said inclined camming surface cooperating with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member and permit discharge of material from said container through said port and discharge passage to the atmosphere.

9. In a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above said material, a valve assembly comprising a rigid valve member having upper and lower axial passages separated by a transverse wall member, first and second ports through the wall of said valve member, the upper port being adjacent said transverse wall member and communicating with the upper passage and the lower port on the other side of said transverse wall member and communicating with the lower passage, and said upper port extending radially inwardly to the said upper axial passage of said valve member, and a radially extending portion extending from said upper portion and having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface, and

a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving said valve member, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion defining said valve member receiving passage and adapted to seal said port, and an inclined camming surface between said skirt and said attachment portion, said inclined camming surface cooperating with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member and permit discharge of material from said container through said port and discharge passage to the atmosphere.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said valve member camming surface is of frustoconical shape, is tapered inwardly toward said skirt portion, and said upper valve port extends through said camming surface.

11. The device of claim 9, including a second annular channel defined between said valve member and said sealing member around the periphery of said valve member surrounding said lower port, and wherein said lower port extends radially inwardly from said second annular channel to said lower axial passage of said valve member, said skirt portion engaging the peripheral portion of said valve member between said stem ports to separate said annular channels, and separating from said valve member to permit communication between said channels along said peripheral portion.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said valve member includes an axial notch extending along the periphery of saidvalve member from said lower port toward the interior of said container, and said skirt portion engages the remainder of said valve member part way along said valve notch, said notch and said skirt portion forming thereby an axially extending channel open at one end to said container and at the other end to said lower port.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said lower axial passage of said valve member is for communication, through a dip tube, with the material to be dispensed from said container and said axially extending channel is for communication with the gas charge above said material.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said valve member includes an annular notch intersecting said lower port, and said skirt portion seals said annular notch from said upper valve port.

[5. The device of claim 14, wherein said flexible member includes at least one portion disposed, upon application of pressurized gas axially along the periphery of said valve member, to separate from said valve member to permit axial gas flow therebetween.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein at least said skirt portion is so disposed upon application of said pressurized gas to said annular valve member notch.

17. A pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed, a flexible sealing member defining a passage, and an elongated valve member disposed in said sealing member passage and being movable in said sealing member between a closed position and a material dispensing position, said valve member having an axially extending passage, a port through the wall of said valve member in communication with said axially extending passage and a radially extending portion above said port having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion depending from said body portion and defining said sealing member passage and adapted to seal said port, said skirt portion being an elongated annular sleeve having a wall thickness substantially less than that of said body portion, and an inclined camming surface located between said skirt portion and said attachment portion for cooperation with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member to permit discharge of material from said container through said passage.

# i I i 

1. In a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above said material, a valve assembly comprising a rigid valve member having an upper portion defining a discharge passage, a lower portion defining an axially extending passage, barrier means disposed between said upper and lower portions, a port through the wall of said member providing communication between said axial passage and said discharge passage around said barrier means, and a radially extending portion extending from said upper portion and having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface, and a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving said valve member, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion depending from said body portion and defining said valve member receiving passage and adapted to seal said port, said skirt portion being an elongated annular sleeve having a wall thickness substantially less than that of said body portion and an inclined camming surface between said skirt and said attachment portion, said inclined camming surface cooperating with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member and permit discharge of material from said container through said port and discharge passage to the atmosphere.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said attachment portion extends annularly around said flexible member and includes opposed annular surfaces, and wherein said dispensing package also includes an annular securing member, disposed along the lower of said annular surfaces of said member to secure the upper of said annular surfaces of said member against said container.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said container includes a rigid wall adjacent said upper annular surface and an integral cylindrical depending wall having a lower portion crimped about the lower side of said annular securing member.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein said annular securing member includes an outer inclined face adjacent the said lower portion of said depending container wall.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein said valve member camming surface is formed by a flangEd portion of said valve member, said container includes a rigid wall adjacent the opposite surface of said flanged portion, and said flexible member camming surface is constructed to bias said flanged portion against said rigid wall, said tilting or axial pressure being applied to counteract said biasing, and said skirt portion remains in contact to said valve member, during application of said tilting or axial pressure and assists the return of said valve member to its initial position relative to said flexible member, upon release of said applied pressure.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein said sealing member further defines an annular channel around the periphery of said valve member, said annular channel being separated from said valve port by said skirt portion.
 7. In a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above said material, a valve assembly comprising a rigid valve member having an upper portion defining a discharge passage, a lower portion defining an axially extending passage, barrier means disposed between said upper and lower portions, a port through the wall of said member providing communication between said axial passage and said discharge passage around said barrier means, and a radially extending portion extending from said upper portions and having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface inclined with respect to the elongated axis of said valve member, and a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving said valve member, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion defining said valve member receiving passage and adapted to seal said port, and an inclined camming surface between said skirt and said attachment portion, the obtuse angle between said valve member camming surface and said elongated axis being slightly greater than the obtuse angle between said flexible member camming surface and said axis, said inclined camming surface cooperating with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member and permit discharge of material from said container through said port and discharge passage to the atmosphere.
 8. In a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above said material, a valve assembly comprising a rigid valve member having an upper portion defining a discharge passage, a lower portion defining a first axially extending passage, barrier means disposed between said upper and lower portions, a port through the wall of said member providing communication between said axial passage and said discharge passage around said barrier means, an axial notch extending along the periphery of said valve member from said valve port toward the interior of said container, and a radially extending portion extending from said upper portion and having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface, and a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving said valve member, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion defining said valve member receiving passage and adapted to seal said port, said skirt portion engaging the remainder of said valve member part way along said valve notch so that said notch and said skirt portion form thereby a second axially extending passage, open at one end to said container and at the other end to said valve port, and an inclined camming surface between said skirt and said attachment portion, said inclined camming surface cooperating with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed agaiNst said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member and permit discharge of material from said container through said port and discharge passage to the atmosphere.
 9. In a pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed and a gas charge above said material, a valve assembly comprising a rigid valve member having upper and lower axial passages separated by a transverse wall member, first and second ports through the wall of said valve member, the upper port being adjacent said transverse wall member and communicating with the upper passage and the lower port on the other side of said transverse wall member and communicating with the lower passage, and said upper port extending radially inwardly to the said upper axial passage of said valve member, and a radially extending portion extending from said upper portion and having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface, and a flexible sealing member having a passage for receiving said valve member, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion defining said valve member receiving passage and adapted to seal said port, and an inclined camming surface between said skirt and said attachment portion, said inclined camming surface cooperating with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member and permit discharge of material from said container through said port and discharge passage to the atmosphere.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein said valve member camming surface is of frustoconical shape, is tapered inwardly toward said skirt portion, and said upper valve port extends through said camming surface.
 11. The device of claim 9, including a second annular channel defined between said valve member and said sealing member around the periphery of said valve member surrounding said lower port, and wherein said lower port extends radially inwardly from said second annular channel to said lower axial passage of said valve member, said skirt portion engaging the peripheral portion of said valve member between said stem ports to separate said annular channels, and separating from said valve member to permit communication between said channels along said peripheral portion.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein said valve member includes an axial notch extending along the periphery of said valve member from said lower port toward the interior of said container, and said skirt portion engages the remainder of said valve member part way along said valve notch, said notch and said skirt portion forming thereby an axially extending channel open at one end to said container and at the other end to said lower port.
 13. The device of claim 12, wherein said lower axial passage of said valve member is for communication, through a dip tube, with the material to be dispensed from said container and said axially extending channel is for communication with the gas charge above said material.
 14. The device of claim 13, wherein said valve member includes an annular notch intersecting said lower port, and said skirt portion seals said annular notch from said upper valve port.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein said flexible member includes at least one portion disposed, upon application of pressurized gas axially along the periphery of said valve member, to separate from said valve member to permit axial gas flow therebetween.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein at least said skirt portion is so disposed upon application of said pressurized gas to said annular valve member notch.
 17. A pressurized dispensing package including a container for the material to be dispensed, a flexible sealing member defining a Passage, and an elongated valve member disposed in said sealing member passage and being movable in said sealing member between a closed position and a material dispensing position, said valve member having an axially extending passage, a port through the wall of said valve member in communication with said axially extending passage and a radially extending portion above said port having an upper surface adapted to define a pivot axis and a lower camming surface, said sealing member including a body portion including a portion for attachment to said container, a skirt portion depending from said body portion and defining said sealing member passage and adapted to seal said port, said skirt portion being an elongated annular sleeve having a wall thickness substantially less than that of said body portion, and an inclined camming surface located between said skirt portion and said attachment portion for cooperation with said valve member camming surface to move said skirt portion away from said port when said valve member camming surface is cammed against said flexible member camming surface in response to either tilting or axial pressure applied to said valve member to permit discharge of material from said container through said passage. 